Although the FDA warned Americans about Brazilian diet pills
in 2006, these ‘natural supplements’ are still easily bought online and are
still used by millions of Americans.

New research by doctors at Harvard Medical
School shows that these supplements
can contain dangerous pharmaceuticals and can be addictive. Researchers looked
into the pills after treating a patient who required psychiatric treatment to
overcome an addiction to Brazilian diet pills. The patient, who had been using Brazilian
diet pills for 4 years, had become depressed, had trouble sleeping and was even
suicidal. When she had tried to quit using the pills, she experienced
withdrawal symptoms like trembling, headache, anxiety and cravings.

When the doctors looked more closely at the ‘natural
supplements’ she had been using, they found that they contained fenproporex (an
amphetamine like substance) and other pharmaceutical agents (SSRIs) – substances
that they say could have contributed to the depression and suicidal actions.

With treatment and appropriate medication, the patient
was able to quit using the pills over the course of three months of
discontinuation.

The researchers say that the substances found in these diet
pills can be addictive and can contribute to the development or worsening of
psychiatric conditions, like depression or anxiety.

Dr. Cohen warned consumers to be cautious with so called
natural supplements, saying, "When you are purchasing these products, you
have no idea what you are getting. There is a very lax regulatory framework
that surrounds dietary supplements. Basically, all dietary supplements are
assumed to be harmless until the FDA demonstrates that they are dangerous."

In a study which shows an association, but no causality – researchers find that people who drink 4 or more cans of diet soda per day are 31% more likely to get depression than people who do not drink sweetened beverages. Read Article